Today:
1777 – American forces defeated a British and Hessian detachment at the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolutionary War. The victory helped weaken British General John Burgoyne’s campaign and contributed to the later American victory at Saratoga.
1812 – American General William Hull surrendered Detroit to British General Isaac Brock during the War of 1812 without a major battle, handing the British an important early victory.
1858 – President James Buchanan exchanged the first official transatlantic telegraph messages with Britain’s Queen Victoria after a cable successfully connected North America and Europe.
1896 – Gold was discovered in Bonanza Creek in Canada’s Yukon Territory, helping trigger the Klondike Gold Rush. Tens of thousands of prospectors subsequently headed north hoping to strike it rich.
1920 – Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman was struck in the head by a pitch from New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays. Chapman died the following day and remains the only Major League Baseball player to die as a direct result of an injury sustained during a game.
1930 – The first color sound cartoon, Fiddlesticks, starring the character Flip the Frog, was released. It was created by animator Ub Iwerks, who had previously helped Walt Disney create Mickey Mouse.
1945 – Emperor Hirohito ordered Japanese forces to cease fighting following Japan’s decision to surrender to the Allies, although scattered combat continued in some areas.
1960 – Joseph Kittinger jumped from a balloon at an altitude of about 102,800 feet above New Mexico. His extraordinary parachute jump set records that stood for more than 50 years.
1977 – Elvis Presley died at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 42. His death shocked millions of fans around the world, and August 16 remains a major date for Elvis fans who gather annually at Graceland.
2008 – Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the Olympic 100-meter final in Beijing in a world-record time of 9.69 seconds, famously slowing and celebrating before he had even crossed the finish line.